Canopus DVStorm, Page 4
One shortcoming with the hardware is the lack of real time 3D effects. If you're looking for those, you'll have to go elsewhere, perhaps to the new Matrox RT2000 Mega Pack with its hundreds of real time 3D effects. But currently, going with the RT2000 will force you to use Windows Me, an amateur operating system that's great for game-playing but not for serious video editing. As an alternative to this lack of real time 3D effects, included with DVStorm is SoftXplode, a group of great-looking 3D effects that render quickly on our 1 GHz box. Or you could add a Xplode hardware accelerator that speeds them up even more.
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| Notice how you plug in the 1394 cable, and then must loop it back into the computer case so it can connect with the breakout box mounted on the front of the computer. |
Also on the hardware front, there's a well-designed breakout box that fits perfectly into a 5¼" drive bay, giving your system that built-in look. This also brings the jacks right out front where they're supposed to be more convenient. While that's a good theory, the breakout box on the front of the computer ends up just getting in the way, though. Once I've plugged in my 1394 cable from the camcorder, I don't even want to see those jacks, wires and plugs any more. And, when you install the breakout box, you can't also plug a 1394 cable into the back of your computer. There's a lame way this is done, too, where you plug in the 1394 cable into the back of the computer and loop that cable back inside the computer case so it will reach the breakout box mounted in front (see picture at left). I'd rather just not use the breakout box, and that's certainly an option -- the box isn't necessary for the system to work.
So what's the final verdict? This is a great way to edit DV footage. The implementation of the hardware with Adobe Premiere 5.1c is shaky so far, but we're looking forward to seeing what it can do with the new version of Premiere that will be available soon. Until then, we'll make do with Storm Edit and stack up those effects, all in real time. But the big story here are the implications for the future, like what will this baby do with much higher processor speed under the hood? Lots more than it does now. That, along with those imminent improvements in Premiere 6 bodes well for DVStorm, indeed qualifying it as an acorn that's destined to become a mighty oak of the DV editing arena.
| Score
(out of a possible 10) 7.5 |
The author would like to thank Midwest Test Facility Information Services Manager Drew Gagliano for his assistance in the preparation of this review.
Charlie
White has been writing about digital video editing since it
was the laughingstock of the post-production industry. He's an Emmy
award-winning producer and director for PBS, and Senior Producer at
Digital Media Net. Reach him at cwhite@digitalmedianet.com
